The 1930’s Night-Club Map of Harlem

August 23, 2010

Drawn in 1932 by E. Simms Campbell, this map describes the late night entertainment options available in Harlem in the early 30’s, with a special emphasis on music. Even though the map itself is loosely organized around the city blocks of Lenox and Seventh, the illustrations of musical style are not necessarily constrained by exact geographic location. The map goes to great lengths to express the culture of the Harlem music club scene; from the performers, to the dress, to the dancing, to the lingo, and even to the food. It’s a fantastic way to get a sense of the music for that neighborhood at that point in time, but more importantly to get a sense of the culture surrounding it. The full resolution version is available here.